Part of a memoir project about raising preemies.

5/22/92 (Day 188) — Preemies at Home, day 56

In digging through my boxes, I ran across this sonogram photo. In the red circle are the two little blobs that would become Isaac and Molly. Ironically, the bigger blob is Ike. Note the date: July 10. They were born November 17 — just four months and one week after this ultrasound. Somehow that seems more remarkable to me than seeing all their preemie pictures. Maybe it's because I've looked at all those photos so often that they're imprinted on my brain and don't register as anything but normal to me. But it's been a long time since I have thought of their birth in these terms. I remember how excited we were to get this photo. Our pregnancy was confirmed, and we thought we were settling in for the long haul. I imagined myself getting huge with those two babies, and went out that day to buy my first and only maternity outfit. I never got to wear it.

Home nursing notes

Isaac

12 midnight took 30 ccs formula PO and retained. Woke crying at 2:00 a.m. Took 40 ccs formula and retained. Fell asleep after diaper change and returned to crib. No apnea or bradycardia. Took 35 ccs at 4:00 a.m. Fussy, but calmed when being held. Took 25 ccs PO at 6:00 a.m.; returned to crib asleep. Monitor on and alarms set. Nasal cannula in place. Mylicon given at 7:00 a.m. for fussiness. Irritable and awake at 8:00 a.m. Awake at 10:00 a.m. No change in resp or cardiac status. Asleep in infant seat at noon. Took 15 ccs at 12:40 p.m. Increasingly irritable; fed rest of bottle at 1:20, which he took eagerly and burped. Quiet and calm when done. Put in crib to sleep at 2:00 as he was drowsy, but he would startle when he heard a noise. Awake and ready to eat at 4:10. Began eating eagerly, but soon slowed. Had two good burps and took all 60 ccs in about 35 minutes without incident. Content with feeding. Put in infant seat at 5:00.

Molly

Asleep in playpen in living room, woke briefly at midnight for diaper change. Attempted PO feeding, but she refused to suck. Took 25 ccs PO at 2:00 a.m.; refused more. Diaper changed and awake for an hour. Took 35 ccs at 4:00 a.m.; refused more. Mylicon given at 6:00 a.m. for restlessness while passing flatus and stool. Took 40 ccs formula and returned to crib on abdomen with monitor on and nasal cannula in place. Quiet and awake at 10:00 a.m. Fussy at noon, calms when bounced on knee. Put in swing for a few minutes and fell asleep. Awake at 1:30 at sound of doorbell. Fed 50 ccs Similac 24 cal eagerly. Fell asleep in nurse’s arms after feeding and diaper change. Squirming and crying out in sleep at 3:00, comforted when back and bottom patted. Fussy and awake at 4:00. Mom home, so she fed Molly, who took her formula eagerly, all 60 ccs, occasionally coughing and gagging without color change. Fussy still at 5:00; mom warming another bottle.

Look How We’ve Grown

The pictures in the banner at the top of this blog are Isaac shortly after birth (l), Ike and Molly in 2010 (c), and Molly shortly after birth (that's her dad's wedding ring dangling on her arm, just to put things in perspective).